Bournemouth boss Scott Parker has suggested that he does not expect Liverpool to pose a weaker threat when the teams meet at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The Merseyside giants have endured a difficult start to the new Premier League campaign, only collecting two points from games with Fulham, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
In the latter of those fixtures, Liverpool were outplayed and outfought by their fierce rivals, who went into the game on the back of successive defeats.
With Jurgen Klopp also having to contend with a lengthy injury list, it has been suggested that Bournemouth are travelling to Merseyside at the right time.
However, Parker does not see it that way, telling reporters at a press conference on Friday that Liverpool will be extra motivated to get back on track.
© Reuters
The Englishman said: "I am sure they will be the first to know it has not gone how they wanted it to go but we're playing against a world-class team, a well-coached team, an exceptional manager and against a team who are probably looking for a reaction.
"This is one of the hardest places to go, Anfield, and even more so in the current situation it could be very difficult. As always it is a challenge for us to face and we need to try and get something out of this game."
The Cherries head into the game having collected three points from as many matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Arsenal.
That run of games has come at a time when Parker has had to deal with fitness issues of his own, most notably concerning last season's top goalscorer and former Liverpool man Dominic Solanke.
© Reuters
While Solanke may be fit enough to return from an ankle injury, summer arrivals Ryan Fredericks and Joe Rothwell remain sidelined alongside Junior Stanislas.
Although Parker has been able to make five first-team additions since guiding the club to promotion from the Championship, he admits that he wants to conduct more business over the coming days.
Parker added: "We need bodies through the door, for sure. It has been pretty tricky for many reasons, for many circumstances, so I'm hoping and everyone is hoping."
Bournemouth head into Saturday's encounter having suffered defeat in their last six meetings with Liverpool.
Darren Plant
